My Story: “I Wouldn’t Be Able To Love Again, But I Will Push Your Wheelchair For A Lifetime”

“It’s very hard to fall in love again. Especially for a prostitute. Ever since I have understood life, every inch of my soul has suffered in grief. I have no idea what my age is or who my parents were. I have spent my life on the street. And my daughter was the only reason for my breath. I never told her what my profession was. She was a beautiful chubby child; it was very difficult to lie to her, especially when she smiled at me. Whenever she asked me, ‘Why are you going to work at night, amma?’ I could hardly speak to her, but sometimes I told her; ‘I never wanted to work at night.’ Without understanding anything, she’d always hug me before I left home. I wanted to get out of that gang. I tried to escape many times. I badly wanted to save my life. But I knew no one, nobody came to help me ever since I’ve woken up in this bastard world. Everyone used me, played with my heart. Left me devastated and I had no idea where I was going.

That was a rainy day, it was raining heavily; I was standing under a tree, waiting for the sunset. I did not even notice the beggar sitting in the wheel chair on the other side of the tree. I was crying hard and the rain was pouring onto me. I had no idea how long I had screamed in anger, in agony. I wanted to return to my daughter, I did not want to go anywhere with any stranger. I was very tired. Tired of being used at every place by everyone. Suddenly I heard the crack of the wheelchair; he coughed loudly to get my attention. I did not try to weep off my tears and told him that I had no money for a beggar. He handed me a fifty taka note and said that was all he had. He warned me about the coming storm and requested me to go back home. I was numb. The money was already wet but I kept that dearly in my plum. I saw him pushing his wheel chair while moving in the rain; saw him going far away from me. For the first time in my life that evening, someone gave me something without using me. That day I cried deeply while returning to my hut. That day for the first time, I felt loved.

That very same monsoon, I searched for him until I found him several days later, sitting under a tree. I came to know that his wife left him because of his disability. By gaining a lot of courage, I told him that I won’t be able to love again, but I could push his wheelchair for a lifetime. At that moment, he smiled and said, ‘Not everyone can push a wheelchair without love’. We are married for four years. During our wedding, he promised me, no matter what he would never let me cry again. Some days we do not have lunch. Even today, we have only one plate of chot pati and were sharing it together. We have already passed many difficult days, months and years. But I have never cried again, standing under any unknown tree. Abbas Miah has kept his promise.”

– Rajiya Begum

It’s very hard to fall in love again. Especially for a prostitute. Ever since I have understood life, every inch of my…

My Story: At First Day Of My Work, I Cried Remembering How My Father Used To Polish Shoes

Partner Story

Know Why This Small Town In Tamil Nadu Is In The Guinness Book Of World Records

Did you know there is a town at the southern tip of India that can be called ‘Heaven on Earth’. Its people realise the importance of keeping the environment clean.

Madukkarai Panchayat in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, is the cleanest place in India, owing to around 50 women who wake up every day to collect waste from each and every household in the town. At 6 AM, the women set out to work with their green jackets on, hands covered in gloves and caps adjusted perfectly on their heads. Every morning they line up for the roll call. These ‘Green Friends’ are part of the solid waste management program supported by ACC Cement – Madukkarai.

Madukkarai, a small town at the tip of the country, is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest recycling lesson in the world. With the help of around 50 women, who are now called ‘Green Friends’, and a simple, scalable model, this town is leading the way for efficient waste management. #SwachhBharat

While most of us find someone to put the blame on, Madukkarai decided to take control in their own hands. The town has 8,000 households and a population of 42,000. 82% of the homes hand over garbage to ‘Green Friends’ every day. 1,440 tonnes of garbage is collected annually from the town of 18 wards and 107 streets.

There is a lot that we can learn from Madukkarai. One of the most disturbing realities that we face, despite which part of the country we reside in, is the similar dirt everywhere – garbage piled up on roadside, drains clogged with plastic bags and dogs chewing on the leftover food we have callously thrown on the streets.

We keep our homes clean; make sure that the floors are mopped every day. But why do we not share the same sentiment for our surroundings? We hardly realize that the street outside our home is as much ours as is anybody else’s. We are the ones who use these roads every day to commute. Madukkarai realized this and the importance of a clean environment for our health and well-being.

Guinness Book of World Records for the largest recycling lesson in the world

‘Green Friends’ collect household wastes in eight different bins for wet waste, kitchen waste, plastic waste, etc. This is then disposed in large bins kept in several parts of the town. Trucks pick up this waste daily and take it to the resource recovery park where the garbage is recycled.

The treatment center segregates the different types of wastes. The kitchen waste is converted into fertilizers and given to farmers at extremely low prices to use in cultivation of their crops. The plastic waste is processed to be used in the construction of roads, and also at the large ACC factory where it is used as fuel at high temperatures which does not even cause pollution.

Due to the efforts of ‘Green Friends’, the citizens of Madukkarai, and the municipality, there has been a 60% reduction in landfill waste over the span of three years. There has also been a 50% reduction in the vehicle movement to the landfill sites, 85% of organic waste is converted successfully into vermin compost, ample reduction in the use of fossil fuels, reduction in greenhouse gas emission to 60%, and substantial decrease in the spread of malaria and dengue among the people. Furthermore, barren lands provided for compost yard have been successfully converted into fully functional organic compost yard and non-recyclable waste is used as an alternative energy source for the cement industry.

Madukkarai’s citizens have also become more environment-friendly, with 30% of the households segregating the organic-recyclable waste at home.

What we can learn

Madukkarai has paved the way to the sustainable development of our world. They have shown us that is not impossible to keep our environment clean. All we need is to inculcate in us a concern for mother Earth. It is commendable that ACC is supporting Madukkarai in its venture and helping it stay clean.

We, as citizens of other towns, cities, villages and states in India, have a lot to learn from Madukkarai. We too can have a healthier life if only we care enough and practice our civil duties proudly.